Sketchbook Blog of Artist Robert James

Year of the Rooster

Pencil, ink, acrylic, watercolor. 5″ x 8″

This drawing is from Sunday to honor the Chinese New Year. My source material was a photograph from the Sktchy app. I worked first in pencil then in black ink, adding the red ink and blue watercolor last.

The calligraphy character is “rooster”, at least that’s what the internet says. Chinese calligraphy is a skill I do not have. I tried a few times to freehand it but in the end I cheated by tracing it.

My family regularly orders Chinese take-out on Sunday night and we are lucky to have a great restaurant nearby that delivers: Hunan River Bistro. As the delivery person was leaving he said, “Happy New Year!” It made me smile. I wonder if he said that to anyone who said “Huh?”